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Children with dyspraxia usually appear « normal. They seem to function well, but are often unable to manage on their own. They often have good language skills, some even speak a lot and have a good vocabulary. Yet, in most cases, they cannot express their thoughts and emotions well.
For these reasons, great misunderstandings arise. In fact, the invisibility of this disability is the cause of many misunderstandings. Dyspraxic children must constantly have a family to introduce them to society and school. This invisibility of the handicap makes it difficult for parents to recognize it.
If dyspraxia is so difficult to perceive for people who meet these children from time to time, it is very obvious for parents that something is « wrong » from the preschool period.
My child …
is often clumsy. He spills, breaks, runs away and contaminates what he touches ;
is unable to dress, wash or dry himself/herself properly;
eats clumsily and cannot cut up food;
misplaces and forgets personal belongings, does not store or organize them;
does not like strategy games, construction games and puzzles;
He has great difficulty writing and his drawings are very poor and inappropriate for his age. This problem persists despite all efforts;
does not know how to use scissors properly;
forgets instructions and directions for all school tasks;
has difficulty throwing and catching a ball and pedaling a bike is difficult.
The manifestations are different from one child to another, but generally, from a young age, a dyspraxic child has difficulty manipulating objects and drops them easily. He or she has less balance and often falls. The child with motor dyspraxia is slower and often clumsy.
Many dyspraxic children have little interest in coloring because holding a pencil requires a lot of effort.
Eating or dressing alone is a challenge for him. For example, he often makes a mess or gets stuck in his sweater. He also has trouble coordinating his body movements to catch a ball or ride a tricycle.
Motor dyspraxia affects all of a child’s activities. He or she may have difficulty with:
dressing, bathing, wiping;
eating (spilling drinks, dropping food, not being able to use utensils)
walking up and down stairs, running, jumping, kicking a ball
putting things together (puzzles or blocks)
Learning a new activity takes longer and is more difficult for a dyspraxic child. It is not a lack of intelligence, a behavioural disorder, laziness or disinterest. It is that, as soon as the situation changes, he has to learn the task again. For example, a child who cuts well with one pair of scissors will not have the same result with another model of scissors.